Politico reports:

Eight days into the fiscal year, the federal government has spent nearly half the disaster relief that Congress has allocated for the next 12 months.

The rapid spending — which is likely to accelerate as aid flows to states pulverized by Hurricanes Helene and Milton — soon will force the Federal Emergency Management Agency to restrict spending unless Congress approves additional funding.

“I’m going to have to evaluate how quickly we’re burning the remaining dollars in the Disaster Relief Fund,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said Wednesday during a news briefing, hours before Milton began tearing into Florida’s Gulf Coast and spawning floods, tornadoes and power outages across the state.

Under the spending restrictions, FEMA would cut off funding for disaster-related rebuilding projects nationwide and reserve its money for life-saving operations during disasters. The cutoff often halts major repairs to roads, sewer plants and water-treatment facilities.

“We keep a reserve in the Disaster Relief Fund to make sure I can always cover these life-saving activities,” Criswell said.

Before Helene and Milton, Criswell had expected to impose restrictions in December or January.

“I’m going to have to assess that every day to see if I can wait that long,” Criswell said.

Criswell disclosed that as of Tuesday, FEMA had spent $9 billion of the $20 billion that Congress put in FEMA’s disaster fund Oct. 1 for the fiscal year that runs through Sept. 30, 2025. It was the first time FEMA has publicly stated how much money it has since Hurricane Helene hit the Southeast two weeks ago.

President Joe Biden has sought additional FEMA funding since last October but Congress has ignored the request. [Continue reading…]